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Student criticizes TCC for banning empty gun holster
By JOHN AUSTIN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

A student is alleging that the Tarrant County College District shot itself in the foot when it denied him permission to wear an empty gun holster to protest laws that keep concealed weapons off Texas campuses.

The student, Brett Poulos, enlisted the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to help him battle the district after South Campus administrators told him in April that he could protest in the free-speech area but denied his request to wear a holster around campus.

"TCC has cast aside decades-old Supreme Court precedent strongly protecting symbolic expression by refusing to recognize its students' right to wear empty holsters to make their point," Greg Lukianoff, president of the foundation, said in a statement. "The students were using the empty holsters to protest policies that they believe render students defenseless. They have every right to engage in this symbolic protest, and TCC's cynical attempt to ban dissenting views is both shameful and transparent."

Juan Garcia, South Campus vice president for student development, defended the decision. He said recent shootings at Virginia Tech and Southern Illinois universities have left some students edgy.

"We're protecting the learning environment," Garcia said. "From a distance, you can't tell if a holster is empty or not."

University of Texas at Arlington administrators allowed protesting students to wear empty holsters as part of the National Collegiate Empty Holster Protest in April, according to the UT-Arlington newspaper, The Shorthorn.

Courts have upheld reasonable restrictions on campus speech. They have also upheld limitations on where students may protest.

"At first, he wanted to take the gun holsters into the classroom and discuss it there," Garcia said.
JOHN AUSTIN, 817-548-5418
jaustin@star-telegram.com

bigolbigun wrote: "From a distance, you can't tell if a holster is empty or not."

I wonder if they can read lips from that same distance

This is very very irritating.

Jason

Good grief!

Now hold on a darn minute here.... If I'm walking around a TCC campus (which I do regularly) and I have rosary beads hanging out of my pocket, amd I going to get the boot? I think not. It's not a holster but a physical expression of beliefs just the same.

Maybe they will also outlaw cell phone clips, pagers, utility pouches, medical monitoring equipment, medicine delivery devices, ipods, players, recorders, or any of the other hundred items worn on the belt. After all, can't discern what they are at a distance, either.

lrb111 wrote:Maybe they will also outlaw cell phone clips, pagers, utility pouches, medical monitoring equipment, medicine delivery devices, ipods, players, recorders, or any of the other hundred items worn on the belt. After all, can't discern what they are at a distance, either.

They also need to ban clothing beneath which handguns and other weapons could be concealed.

I feel a lawsuit coming on,If you can't tell if a holster is empty or not you really should not be teaching or administrating in any school

They should also ban:

* Backpacks. You can't tell what's in them even if you're walking right behind one of us.

* The Norton Anthology of Literature. One of the single-volume paperback editions is more than four inches thick and weighs more than a cinder block.

"Juan Garcia, South Campus vice president for student development, defended the decision. He said recent shootings at Virginia Tech and Southern Illinois universities have left some students edgy."

Mr. Garcia speaks regarding the justification of the decision based upon his stated fact that some students are edgy.
My question is whether or not the stated fact is indeed actual fact based upon majority polling of his student body or just mere opinion backed by strong anti-gun personal beliefs. My guess is the latter. Frankly, I think a poll of students at TCC might just reveal that they would prefer to be lawfully armed while on campus, but that is just one opinion.

From: Foundation for Individual Rights in Education web site
http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/9337.html


E-mail from TCC Vice President for Student Development Juan Garcia to TCC Student Brett Poulos, April 10, 2008
From: GARCIA, JUAN
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 3:53 PM
To: Brett Poulos
Cc: STRONG, ZEB; MOAK, TERRY; THOMAS, EL; GARCIA, JUAN
Subject: RE: SCCC Empty Holster

Mr. Poulos

This is to notify you that your request to stage an "Empty Holster Protest" on the South Campus is granted. Your protest will be limited to the Free Speech Zone designated on the South Campus, and you and other protestors may not wear empty gun holsters on campus, including the Free Speech Zone during the protest, or at any other time. You and your group are prohibited from staging this protest at any place other than the Free Speech Zone which is located in the center of the campus in a large, open space in front of the Library.

This permit is granted under Tarrant County College Policy, GF Legal, which governs a student's right to protest. The policy can be found in the Policy and Regulation Manual on the College's website at http://www.tccd.edu/. For your convenience, I have copied it below.

You must pick up your permit at Student Activities Office with Zeb Strong, Director / Blding SSTU 1101A / 817-515-4206. Please call me at 817/515-4504 if you have questions.

STUDENT AND COMMUNITY USE OF COLLEGE DISTRICT FACILITIES

GF
(LEGAL)

FORUM FOR
COMMUNICATION

The College District may create a public forum of a place or channel of communication for use by the public at large for assembly and speech, for use by certain speakers, or for the discussion of certain subjects. Perry Educ. Ass'n v. Perry Local Educators' Ass'n, 460 U.S. 37, 103 S. Ct. 948 (1983); Chiu v. Plano ISD, 260 F.3d 330 (5th Cir. 2001)

The College District is not required to allow persons to engage in every type of speech when the College District establishes a limited public forum; the College District may be justified in reserving its forum for certain groups or for the discussion of certain topics. The College District shall not discriminate against speech on the basis of viewpoint, and any restriction must be reasonable in light of the purpose served by the forum. Good News Club v. Milford Cent. Sch., 533 U.S. 98, 121 S. Ct. 2093 (2001); Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free Sch. Dist., 508 U.S. 384, 113 S. Ct. 2141 (1993)


FEES FOR USE

The Board shall be authorized to fix and collect rentals, rates, charges, or fees from students and others for the occupancy, use, or availability of all or any of its property, buildings, structures, activities, operations, or facilities, in such amounts and in such manner as may be determined by the Board. Education Code 130.123(c)


Juan B. García
Vice President for
Student Development Services
Tarrant County College
5301 Campus Drive
Forth Worth, TX 76119
Tel: 817-515-4504
Fax:817-515-4028

bigolbigun wrote: By JOHN AUSTIN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Courts have upheld reasonable restrictions on campus speech. They have also upheld limitations on where students may protest.

Reasonable restrictions will get you every time.

Just because the court says so. I guess that makes it correct, reasonable, and common sense.

Anygunanywhere

This is not really any different than how University Academia run things all over the world...while out one side of their mouths they preach rights, free speach, and thinking outside of the box.....What they
REALLY mean is you can say or do what ever you wish as long it is in complete agreement with us.
Left wing is verry coooool in Academia...protest war? sure! stand up for your "right" to burn the U.S. flag? You betcha! Save the whales? Duuuuuude! Protect yourself? (NO WAY! You could hurt some one if your protect yourself)
The Same "big Brother" you are taught to mistrust(because they harbor conservitives in their ranks)
is the verry thing they expect you to completely turn over your lives to on the subject of safety.
I have taken Criminal Justice classes at TCC( it was TCJC then) after Police Academy to work towards a degree....The class that actually had to do with the history of crime and punishment, was taught by an ex TABC officer...that had gone over to the darkside(tweed coat with elbow patches, sweater vest
encrusted zygote of liberalism) Used to stand before us, Half the room full of Police and Jailors and lament that people wasnt passionate about thier (left wing liberal)beliefs enough to march through the streets breaking things and setting stuff on fire. I flat couldnt believe what was comming out of this guys state funded mouth, but if you disagreed with any of his concepts he wouldnt hear of it. I have no use for paying my good money to hear that. Whats wrong with Collages is in most cases the staff.

So, TCC only allows free speech in one little corner of the campus? They should re-name that area to something more like "The spot to stand and make a point that we pointy-headed intellectuals that teach at a community college rather than a university don't agree with".

My understanding is that if the free speech area is outdoors and not in a building defined as a "premesis", you could legally carry there if CHL-credentialled. How odd--per their letter, they won't let you even wear the empty holster to protest in the "Free Speech" zone, but you could be legally carrying concealed at the same moment if not in a building.

I think I've got this right, but want to make sure.

camjr wrote:So, TCC only allows free speech in one little corner of the campus? They should re-name that area to something more like "The spot to stand and make a point that we pointy-headed intellectuals that teach at a community college rather than a university don't agree with".

My understanding is that if the free speech area is outdoors and not in a building defined as a "premesis", you could legally carry there if CHL-credentialled. How odd--per their letter, they won't let you even wear the empty holster to protest in the "Free Speech" zone, but you could be legally carrying concealed at the same moment if not in a building.

I think I've got this right, but want to make sure.

wearing a holster is not even really protesting it is making a quiet statement Quieter and less obtrusive than many of the T-shirts found on most campuses (campi ? ) I wonder wear they draw the line? Is a Tshirt or rubber band on a wrist supporting cancer victims against the rules? How about a Che T-shirt? or even Nike clothing.

I wonder though, Are their really folks that break down, cry and wet thewmselves when then see a handgun holster? What ever happens when these folks see a police officer? I know a guy that regularly wears in the open an empty holster in places he can't carry, He has never had any storys about people having panic attacss or such. Most folks don't even notice.

The administrators aren't going to say/do anything about clothing. They could, I suppose, but they'd be sued into the fetal position in the nearest corner.

So, I think that the student should go clothes shopping. I'm sure that he can find plenty of pro-concealed-carry shirts to wear on campus. Maybe a nice baseball cap and a big button or patch for his bookbag while he's at it.